


Bookends

by futureimperfect, Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)



Series: Sine Qua Non [5]
Category: Law and Order, Original Work
Genre: Cunnilingus, F/F, Femslash, Knifeplay, Threesome - F/F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-07
Updated: 2010-06-08
Packaged: 2017-10-09 23:36:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/92814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect, https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A reminder of Taylor's Navy days turns up in New York, and that brings up quite a few memories, both good and bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Condicio Sine Qua Non](https://archiveofourown.org/works/89676) by [futureimperfect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futureimperfect/pseuds/futureimperfect), [Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo). 



> All original characters were created by and belong to the authors. Please do not use without permission.

It wasn't every day that Taylor won a case that was truly worth celebrating, but that day was a lucky one, and she was smiling broadly as she left the courtroom and stepped into the hallway. The only question that remained was just where she was going to do that celebrating.

"Taylor Hamilton?" The hallway was noisy, but Hilda's contralto cut through that easily. She sauntered forward, hoping that the blonde in the well-cut suit was indeed the woman she remembered.

Taylor spun around when she heard her name in a voice that tugged at her memory. "Commander Bor?" It took her a minute to realize that Hilda most definitely wasn't in a uniform. "Hilda? What are you doing in New York?" She opened her arms to embrace the other woman, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Hilda laughed lightly and kissed both of Taylor's cheeks. It had been years, but they had certainly been kind to the blonde--she was a woman who had grown into her beauty. "Actually by your ranking system, I believe I would be a Captain now," she quipped easily. "I was asked to give expert testimony...as a civilian. Imagine, I get to do things like that now that I'm not entirely active," she stepped back, indicating her clothing.

"Well, congratulations, though I'm sure their overdue." The happy coincidence made the day even better. "You'll have to let me buy you a drink."

"I certainly wouldn't say no to that," Hilda replied. She sided with Taylor and began to direct their steps out. "I believe the last time I saw you, you were in a uniform...or some pieces of one, at least." She smirked; it was a pleasant memory. "Not any longer, I see."

"You're looking at a sad victim of don't ask, don't tell." Taylor inclined her head in a mock bow, almost daring anyone to think that she was a sad victim of anything. "I've been working in the Manhattan DA's office for a few years now. You know I had to replace most of that uniform. It was utterly ruined." She guided Hilda down the courthouse steps and toward a cab.

"Well, you certainly weren't complaining that night." Hilda let Taylor open the door of a waiting cab and slid in. Once it closed, she turned to her, a more serious expression on her face. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that, though...I know how much it meant to you..."

"I resigned rather than let them court-marshal me." Taylor shrugged. "I've gotten over it. And I'm glad to hear that you're still doing well." The destruction of that uniform was a fond memory and she was already hoping that Hilda might be interested in picking up where they left off. She squeezed Hilda's hand as the cab came to a stop, then she pulled her into the bar.

"You know...this is the first time I've gotten to New York in years..." Hilda laughed lightly as they sat. "I never imagined I'd run into you..."

"Well, I'm glad that you did." Taylor flagged down the waitress leaned back in her chair, perfectly at ease. "So, how long are you going to be in town?"

"A few more days at least." Hilda crossed her legs and sat back, regarding Taylor thoughtfully. Thoughtful, however, soon turned to almost predatory. She licked her lips as she ordered her drink. "You've a flat in the city, I assume."

Taylor chuckled, even as she shifted under Hilda's gaze, her stomach sinking pleasantly. "No, I've been living in a box. Yes, I have an apartment in the city. Actually, it isn't far from here, just around the block." She wondered how long it would take them to get back there.

"Wonderful. I'm sure I'll see it later." But Hilda would have her drink first, make Taylor wait. If the blonde hadn't been easy to fall in line the last time the met, years before, Hilda was certain their encounter that night would be even more interesting.

"You're just a presumptuous as you've always been." It was a wonder really, just what Hilda might assume and just how often she was successful because of it. She sipped her beer, knowing that they wouldn't leave until Hilda was ready.

"Do you remember that night in Paris..." Hilda smirked to herself as she took a sip of her martini. She certainly did, and she wouldn't mind seeing Taylor blush that way again. She ran the tip of her pump up Taylor's leg lightly.

"I'm fairly sure that most of what we did that night are illegal somewhere, and I _know_ that bar isn't on any sort of tour." Taylor shivered at the touch, vividly remembering at least _most_ of that night.

"Mm..." Hilda sipped her drink and continued both in her touch and her little detours into the past before she laughed outright. "Just how much longer should I keep you here...squirming?" she asked as she leaned forward.

"I'm pretty sure that my answer isn't going to matter." Taylor finished her drink and pulled out some cash. If Hilda wanted another, she could pay for it herself.

"Oh, put that away, Taylor," Hilda said evenly. "You'll have another, and you'll enjoy it while I finish this." She regarded the blonde, wondering just how far she was going to be able to push this time. Hilda did so enjoy pushing.

Taylor kept doing exactly what she intended and paid for the drinks. "No, I don't think I will." She waved away the waitress. "I tend to end up doing all sorts of interesting things when drink too much around you."

"As I recall," Hilda said softly as she put her hand on Taylor's thigh, "you never really needed the excuse of a drink when you were with me." She relaxed, still keeping her hand in place as she smirked. "I always thought you were trying to calm your nerves."

"Ooh, and you're just as egotistical as ever too." Taylor smirked, even if part of what Hilda said was true. Her skin was warm under Hilda's hand and she shifted closer. "I'm going home now. I do hope you're coming with me." Taylor stood up and waited for Hilda.

"I am, as a matter of fact," Hilda replied, unfazed as she slid out of her seat. She put her hand on the small of Taylor's back, ushering her out. Hilda had no qualms with letting Taylor push back, even have some amount of control. It was hardly completely enjoyable otherwise, but she wanted the blonde to remember just who always came out on top in these situations.

"Oh good." Taylor led them back to her apartment, pulling her keys out as they walked past the doorman and got into the elevator.

"Mm..." Hilda reached out and grabbed Taylor's hip, pulling her into a firm kiss just as the doors closed. She saw the doorman watching, leaned to the side to catch the last glimpse of them. When she pulled away, she was smirking, but she kept her hand in place until the elevator doors opened and Taylor led them to her door.

[ ](http://www.statcounter.com/tumblr/)


	2. New Friends

Abbie slowly pushed open the door to Taylor's apartment. The lights were still out, and she sighed lightly, hoping to have caught the blonde at home for once. Still, she stepped inside and turned up the lights. She hadn't been invited, but they rarely extended formal invitations anymore, and Taylor had been hinting at needing a little 'distraction' after her trial all week. The brunette closed the door and smiled to herself, she was feeling smug about the night already, and went to the bedroom to see what she might change into.

Abbie dropped her coat and bag on the floor by the closet and started pulling the rest of her clothes off, letting them pile on the floor. She smirked, and pulled out a pair of Taylor's panties, and a simple white dress shirt, just slightly bigger than her own. The brunette put them on and looked at herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair up. As an afterthought, she unbuttoned the shirt and tied the ends together above her waist. She looked in the mirror again and stepped back into her heels, suddenly hoping Taylor would be home soon. Now....she just had to decide where to wait.

The brunette looked around, and decided the bed was far too simple. She walked casually out into the hall...sofa...same difference...she smirked, and poured herself a drink, then hopped up on the granite countertop in the kitchen, pulling over a discarded magazine a few feet away. She crossed her legs, and started to flip idly through it, sipping her drink while she waited.

Abbie started to relax as her drink disappeared, and she swung her legs up onto the counter, lying back on the granite. It was cool under her skin, and she was starting to anticipate even more. The brunette kept reading, resting her glass on her stomach, condensation dripping down as she slowly twisted it in her fingers. The reading was only slightly effective, and she found herself listening for the door.

Abbie heard footsteps, and smiled, setting the magazine down. She didn't get off the counter, however, instead just rolling on her side to face the hall, setting the nearly empty glass down in front of her.

Taylor pulled Hilda out of the elevator and to her door, only taking a second to unlock it and push it open. When she did, she stopped in her tracks. "Abbie?!" It wasn't that the scene wasn't appealing, Abbie stretched out on her counter was very, very appealing, but she had expected to come home to an empty apartment. She had expected to bring Hilda back to an empty apartment.

Abbie froze for a moment at the sight of the two...yes...two blondes. She hadn't drank enough to be seeing that particular mirage yet. "Shit!.." She thought about covering herself with something...a dishcloth...anything...but it was quite pointless. Instead she just scrambled off the counter, nearly knocking her glass on the floor. "I didn't know you'd be...Shit...Taylor!"

As she took in the scene, Hilda's lips spread into a thin smile. She tapped her finger to them thoughtfully as she stepped into the kitchen, shamelessly looking Abbie over more to gauge just what she was to Taylor rather than to assess the merits of her obvious beauty. "Good evening," she said softly before glancing back to Taylor.

"I..." Abbie could feel her skin flush, and was suddenly uncharacteristically conscious of it. She stepped slowly to the other side of the kitchen island from the other women, knowing immediately Taylor wasn't completely pleased to see her, that the blonde had plans for the night that didn't involve her. "I...I'm sorry...I'll go...and let you...God, sorry Taylor."

Hilda licked her lips as she looked between the two. There was something there, but it wasn't what she initially thought. The lovely brunette was not a pet, and as much of a pity as that wasn't, that very fact made her even more interesting. "Why don't I give the two of you a moment." She shot Abbie a glance, "But it would be lovely to meet you," she murmured before sauntering out.

Taylor nodded and watched Hilda walk off toward her bedroom, thinking for a long moment before she finally turned back to Abbie. "Well... It's, um...wow. I didn't expect to see you tonight."

Abbie buried her face in her hands for a moment... "Taylor...I'm sorry, but the element of surprise was supposed to work for me." She looked back up. "She's beautiful, you better tell me about her later." There was an element of something in her voice, teasing mixed with a hint of hurt, though Abbie would never admit that. She motioned to the bedroom, "I'll just get my things."

"Abbie..." Taylor reached out and grabbed Abbie's arm. "If I had known you were going to be here... I just ran into her... " She didn't know why she felt she needed to offer an explanation, but she did. She could hear the hurt in Abbie's voice. "Just... if you want to stay..."

Abbie gave Taylor a look, trying to see if she was kidding. She'd be lying if she wasn't immediately interested, there was something in the air around those two, something she hadn't felt from Taylor before. It was both intense and quiet, laced with obvious desire. Still she wasn't sure, "I...Taylor don't tease me; I really shouldn't impose." She started to pull away but couldn't help herself, "Where do you know her from...oh...sorry, it's not my business..." Abbie trailed off, still uncertain.

"Her name is Hilda; she's Danish navy. We met in Copenhagen when I was still in the Navy..." Taylor looked down at the counter trying to decide between two conflicting desires. Hilda... Hilda wasn't easy, and what she wanted from Hilda wasn't easy. It certainly wasn't something that she was comfortable letting Abbie see. But it was also something that she could put off for a night. She grabbed Abbie, pulling her in for a kiss, forcing her tongue into Abbie's mouth, pushing her back against the counter. With her hand fisted in Abbie's shirt, she whispered roughly, "You can come if you want, but Hilda doesn't play games. You'll do as you're told, or you need to leave."

Abbie finally let out a moan, feeling Taylor's tongue against hers. The moment had so much promise, and she found herself letting out a quick breath as Taylor pushed her back. She searched the other woman's expression, the words finally hitting her. "I...Taylor I don't know if I can." She glanced down, then back up at the blonde's stare, "But I want to...I'm just not sure why." It was the truth, and Abbie's knees already felt weak. "Is that enough?"

Taylor kept her hand in Abbie's hair, the other still wrapped in her shirt, as she nodded. "For now. If you need to leave, you can." She finally let go, resting her hand on Abbie's hip and brushing her thumb across the curve of Abbie's stomach.

Abbie nodded, mouth suddenly dry. She was trying to decide where things might go, and she found herself leaning closer, but already she could see Taylor shifting in a way she didn't usually in her company and something kept her from kissing her again. "Yes...alright..."

Taylor nodded again and took Abbie's hand, wordlessly leading her back to the bedroom and Hilda.

When she saw the two women approaching, Hilda sat up straight and crossed her legs, draping her hands over her knees. Her eyes were bright at seeing both of them, at the way the brunette followed without lowering her eyes. "Mm, wonderful. And who do we have here?" she asked, looking directly at Abbie for the answer.

Abbie was nervous, though she told herself to relax. Still, her voice was shorter than usual, "Abbie Carmichael. Pleased to meet you...I hope I'm not imposing." She trusted Taylor to know the woman's wants for the night, but it only seemed polite.

"Well, Abbie..." Hilda said the name slowly, as if tasting it. She uncrossed her legs and stood, noting directly for the first time that she had to look up to the woman slightly, even though she was still in her shoes. "I'm sure Taylor has told you who I am, and I'm glad you've decided to join us." She took a step towards the brunette and took her chin in her fingers before leaning in for a firm and lingering kiss.

"Jesus..." Abbie spoke quietly, not able to contain it. She was usually so confident with women, with Taylor even, but the touch was so sure, the night already so strange. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy playing games with Taylor, on occasion with others, but no one with even a hint of a reputation. That Hilda was also beautiful only heightened the moment. "Good...I mean...I'm glad you are..." She looked at the ceiling, "Sorry...nevermind."

Taylor watched them kiss, arms crossed, thoroughly enjoying the way it put Abbie off balance. "Abbie isn't sure about just how long she's staying." She gave Hilda a significant look, trying to wordlessly tell her that there were boundaries that she couldn't cross while Abbie was there.

"Well, then we'll simply have to make the most of our time, won't we?" Hilda replied, fingers still on Abbie's chin but her eyes dark and trained on Taylor. She licked her lips lightly and placed another kiss--soft, promising--on Abbie's. "Help each other get undressed." There was no room for questions in Hilda's voice, and she stepped back, crossing her arms as if readying herself.

Taylor wrapped her arms around Abbie and started unbuttoning her shirt. It wasn't going to take much to get Abbie undressed, and she appreciated that. "I didn't know you enjoyed borrowing my shirts so much."

Abbie allowed herself a smile, "I thought it looked quite good really." She let it drop to the ground as Taylor finished, and started pulling at the blonde's clothes. She could almost pretend it was just another night with Taylor, but couldn't shake the feel of Hilda's eyes on them, and she shivered as the last of their clothes fell away.

"I suspect," Hilda said as she picked up each piece and folded them neatly, fingers working out of habit, "that Abbie isn't in the habit of cleaning up after herself." She was half amused, but she filed away the little mess for later. When she finished, Hilda stepped up to Abbie, kissing her again as she pressed her hand between Taylor's legs, smirking when she found the blonde already too wet. "Taylor is enjoying this," she whispered.

Taylor suppressed her whimper at Hilda's words and kept her eyes locked with Abbie's, watching for any sort of discomfort on her part. If she had to stop the scene because Abbie thought she had something to prove, she would, and while she didn't think it was likely, she stayed vigilant. "Abbie's never been good at folding things or putting them away."

Knowing she would have found the conversation pedantic at any other time, Abbie lifted her chin. Then, however, she could tell it was just pretext to the next move. She leaned in and nipped at Taylor's neck, enough to sting, "I'm good at other things." She could see the growing want in the blonde's eyes, and it was making her own arousal start to build, despite her lingering uncertainty.

"No doubt," Hilda quipped as she stepped closer to Abbie, crowding the taller woman and pushing her back until her back was flush with the wall. "No doubt you think you're quite good." She ran her palm up Abbie's side firmly until she cupped her breast, inching the nipple between her fingertips as she leaned in to nip at the other.

"Ohh..." Abbie couldn't help but moan at the touch, pressing her head back against the wall. She wanted to grab for Hilda, or Taylor for that matter, but managed to keep her hands at her sides.

Taylor stayed at Hilda's back, watching the interaction, but not wanting or daring to interfere. Abbie's reaction only made her wetter, but she could wait, she was good at waiting, even if that wasn't generally as true when Hilda was involved. She really hoped that Hilda wasn't expecting her to be an example of just how good Hilda could make someone be for her.

"Abbie," Hilda said, again slowly, drawing out the sound, "I've no doubt that you might be very good..." Her voice was low, almost a growl as she pressed into the brunette, forcing Abbie to keep her gaze. "But I'm going to show you," she continued, snaking her fingers down Abbie's stomach, curling them between her legs so as to touch her only lightly, "just how good..." Hilda's lips were touching hers, brushing them, teasing them, "I am," she finished as she pressed two fingers into the brunette and curled them back as she touched her clit with her thumb.

Abbie swore under her breath, closing her eyes. The touch was so precise, so sure, that she was surprised to realize she was already on edge, and her breath began to shake. She pressed her hips up to meet Hilda's fingers, moaning.

Taylor had to focus on breathing out slowly in order to stay where she was and not hit her knees. She wanted so badly for Hilda to talk to her that way, to be doing it to her, but she didn't begrudge Abbie the experience. "God Hilda," her voice was rough when she whispered it, certain that Abbie was far too involved in the moment to hear her. She put a hand on Hilda's hip, more to steady herself than anything else.

"Good," Hilda whispered, nipping at Abbie's lower lip, "you _are_ paying attention." Slowly, she uncurled her fingers, reveling in just how wet Abbie was. And even more slowly, she began to pull away, still holding Abbie's eyes with her own as she took a step back. "Put her on her knees. And keep her there."

Abbie groaned in frustration, nearly collapsing against the wall. She blinked, not quite understanding and looked between the blondes.

Taylor nodded and stepped out of Hilda's way, focusing her attention on Abbie. "On your knees." She pushed down on Abbie's shoulder, trying to break her from her trance. Her voice was gentle but insistent as she added, "Now."

Abbie's eyes went wide as she came back to herself, and was surprised to find Taylor's sure pressure on her shoulder hard to resist. It wasn't the first time she had heard the command from the blonde, but likely the first occasion where she felt compelled rather than simply compliant. "God...Taylor..." She whimpered lightly as she folded her legs under her, and sank her knees to the carpet. Abbie glanced up, hoping Taylor wouldn't walk away, the contact was keeping her from a rising sense of uncertainty.

Sensing that Abbie needed Taylor there, Hilda simply nodded. She slowly began to undress, taking care with each piece of clothing, each of her movements sharp, practiced, and almost rigidly controlled. And when she finished, she stood in front of Abbie once more. "Now you've your chance for a demonstration."

As she shivered, Abbie paused. She knew immediately that she wanted to touch Hilda, to continue, but found herself first pressing into Taylor's touch. She glanced up at her before turning back to Hilda. Her heart was beating quickly, and she pulled her arms behind her back as she leaned forward. Taylor squeezed her shoulder and left her hand where it was, silently reassuring the other woman as she started licking Hilda.

Hilda's response to the touch was silent but noticeable. She threw her head back slightly, mouth half open and curled her fingers in Abbie's silky hair. "That's it," she whispered. And in response, Abbie focused and continued. She could feel both of their hands on her, encouraging, and it was making her even wetter. She had to press her legs together to continue, feeling for Hilda's minute shifts.

"No," Taylor stepped between Abbie's legs and gently nudged them apart, helping to keep her steady while she moved. She hoped that Hilda would approve.

"Yes," Hilda breathed, nodding to Taylor. She was impressed with Abbie's touch, with the drive she felt from the brunette, even though she knew she was distracted. She curled her fingers tighter in her hair, pulling it, knowing it would cause tiny pricks of pain in the brunette's scalp. But she was so close.

Abbie's moan caught, and she tried to continue, the pull on her hair, and Taylor's movement only adding to her distraction. In her head she was whimpering, begging for Hilda to come, to somehow validate her right to be there, but didn't make a sound.

Taylor heard the catch in Abbie's breath and squeezed her shoulders again. "Focus." She scratched a thumb down the center of the back of Abbie's neck, then looked up to catch Hilda's eyes, wanting to see them when she came.

Finally, Hilda met Taylor's gaze, holding it, nodding her silent approval. She drew in a sharp breath, her body tensing before it began to shake lightly. And as her climax finally dissipated, she dropped her hands. As the blonde's hold loosened, Abbie did let out a whimper, and leaned back against Taylor's legs. She felt caught between the two women, and was still on edge, but it wasn't an altogether unpleasant feeling.

Taylor kept touching Abbie's shoulders, keeping her where she was on her knees, letting Abbie rest against her legs. "Good." She didn't know how generous Hilda might be with her praise, but the simple comment wasn't unwarranted and Taylor thought Abbie might need to hear it. She lightly trailed her fingers through Abbie's hair just once, then put that hand back on her shoulder and waited for Hilda's next move.

"Mm, good indeed," Hilda said finally, her voice thick. She trailed her fingertips over Abbie's cheek as she leaned in, kissing Taylor firmly. "Now, punish her for making me wait so long," Hilda said to Taylor. And in her voice was a promise that Taylor would be punished at a later date.

Abbie glanced up, her mind ready to protest, but her body wouldn't let her, and the response just came out as a low moan. She hadn't managed to move, to pull herself away from Taylor's warmth, and not even the promise of...whatever might happen...could seem to make her want to leave. "What are you going to do to me?" The question sounded silly the moment she said it, Taylor had punished her before, but really on those occasions she had all but begged for it.

"Of course." Taylor heard the subtext and it made her voice hitch. "Put your palms on the floor and stand." She wasn't exactly sure if Abbie was flexible enough, but she was willing to take the risk. She didn't want to have to take her over to the bed just yet, and she didn't want to have to get on the floor with her, so it was going to have to work.

Abbie whimpered, but did what was asked, though hesitatingly at first. She felt her shoulders flex and stretch at the position, and tried to stay calm enough to hold herself there, completely exposed.

"Good." Taylor rested her hand on Abbie's hip, making sure that she was stable before slid to the side to get the right angle. She left that hand there, knowing it would help Abbie center herself once the pain started. "Count. Make sure Hilda can hear you." She brought her hand down deliberately on Abbie's ass and waited to hear her speak.

Hilda leaned easily against the bed, the pleasant warmth of Abbie's earlier attentions still lighting her eyes. She watched with interest, enjoying the aesthetic and also enjoying how the rigid prescription of the punishment--not the punishment itself--seemed something just outside of the bounds of what might be normal for the couple.

Abbie yelped at the first blow, though she knew it was coming, "One..." her usually low voice was significantly raised.

Taylor chuckled slightly at the yelp and continued the spanking, each blow delivered purposefully, and Taylor's palm slowly started to turn red, mimicking the color of Abbie's ass. She finally slowed, and the last few smacks came down directly on Abbie's center, leaving her hand wet and stinging. Abbie couldn't manage the last few numbers, counting fading into surprised whimpers. When she felt Taylor stop, she couldn't help herself, "Taylor...please...." She begged, maybe for the punishment to stop, maybe to continue, things were all starting to blur.

"Abbie," Hilda said, voice firm. She waited for the brunette to look up and then crooked her finger to her, taking Abbie's chin when she made her way over. The brunette's dark eyes were clouded with desire, and Hilda knew it must be deliciously painful. "You'll thank Taylor as she sees fit, and _if_ I'm impressed, I'll allow you to come." And she watched the brunette straighten, panting slightly as she nodded when words failed her.

Taylor crooked her finger and made Abbie crawl back over to her, looking down at her palm as she waited. It was still slightly wet, and she held it out for Abbie to lick clean. Once that was done and her palm was feeling slightly better, she tilted Abbie's chin up. "Say thank you and go put on the strap-on." She was probably just as wet, just as wanting as Abbie was, but she was doing a better job of hiding it. That wasn't going to last long though.

Abbie moaned, and pressed her lips to the skin of one of Taylor's thighs before answering, "Thank you Taylor." With that she nearly scrambled up, not wanting the offer to be rescinded, and went to do as she was told, returning a few moments later. She looked to the blonde, "What would you like now?" Her voice was heated, and it almost surprised her that she didn't just shove Taylor against the wall out of pure need.

"Lie down on the bed." Taylor had to clench her teeth to stop herself from simply jumping Abbie then. The black straps against the redness of her skin was delicious and the naked desire in Abbie's eyes only made it better. Abbie nodded, taking a breath, and slipped onto the bed. Immediately she twisted her fingers in the blankets, looking at Taylor still.

Hilda followed Abbie with her eyes, shifting, licking her lips at the raw need. She lounged on her side, raising her eyebrows to Taylor.

Taylor steadied herself before she too moved to the bed, fluidly straddling Abbie and pushing herself down onto the dildo. She gasped as her thighs touched Abbie's stomach, and she had to brace herself against the bed. "God..."

Abbie tried to help it, but she couldn't stop from pushing up into Taylor's weight, and one of her hands started working toward the blonde's leg until her fingers just brushed the woman's skin.

Taylor managed to calm herself enough to sit back against Abbie's hips, and she covered Abbie's hands with her own, drawing them up to her breasts as she started to move over Abbie, fucking herself as slowly as she could stand and trying not to get distracted by the way her legs were starting to shake.

"Please...Taylor..." Abbie was close herself just from the contact, watching the woman above her try so hard to prolong the moment. Each moment was beautifully painful, and she rolled Taylor's nipples in her fingers, breathing hard with the other woman.

As the tension between the two mounted, Hilda moved behind Taylor, straddling Abbie as well. She wrapped her arms around the blonde, pressing her palms to her breasts, rolling her nipples between her fingers. "That's it," she growled.

Taylor moaned as she leaned back into Hilda, letting Hilda help her keep her balance. She took one of Abbie's displaced hands and pressed her fingers to her clit, and with just a few stroke, Taylor was coming, twisting in Hilda's arms and pushing down against Abbie. For a split second, she though about what it would be like if Hilda had a second strap-on and the image, the imagined sensations were enough to push her immediately into a second orgasm. Finally Abbie couldn't take the lack of control any longer, and pulled Taylor down on top of her out of Hilda's arms. She wanted to hold her so badly it was even worth postponing her release awhile longer. The blonde just felt so amazing, and she kissed her deeply, tangling her hands in her hair.

The outburst, the silent plea from Abbie only made Hilda smirk. It made a lovely picture, and she could hardly stop the scene to interrupt something so appealing. She reached around Taylor, between them and began to circle her clit with her fingertips. "Don't keep us waiting, my dear," she whispered, bending low.

"Oh..." Taylor whimpered and buried her face in the crook of Abbie's neck. The dildo was still inside of her and Hilda's fingers on her already oversensitive clit were bordering on torturous. She didn't really have the energy to move, or to encourage her body to come again. All she could do was lie there and twitch slightly, vaguely trying to press against Hilda's hand but in reality not moving much. Her third orgasm wasn't nearly as strong as the first two and afterwards all she could do was close her eyes.

Abbie kept holding her, stroking her back. Taylor was almost limp in her arms, and it wasn't something she was used to, "Mmm...beautiful."

"I'm surprised at your control," Hilda said to Abbie as she stroked the brunette's side. She used her weight to keep Taylor pressed against Abbie as she smirked. "But now I want to see you come."

Her breath caught, and Abbie looked over Taylor's shoulder, catching Hilda's eyes. "Touch me...please." It wouldn't even take a fraction of the blonde's earlier attention, but Abbie wanted to feel her again. She squirmed under Taylor, running her hands over the blonde's back.

As she straightened, Hilda raised her eyebrows. There was something about the brunette's audacity, her liquid sweet accent mixed with the gravel in her voice. She could see how one might find Abbie intoxicating, but Hilda guarded herself against allowing too much of such easy pleasures. She slid off of the women, lips curling into a thin, closed smile, and she began to dress with military haste. As she stepped into her shoes, Hilda ran her fingertips lightly up Taylor's back, knowing the sensation would be enough to rouse her. "Take care of Abbie; she deserves it, I suppose." She smirked and turned on her heel, pausing to look over her shoulder. "I'm at the Plaza."


	3. Interlude

_"Commander... Taylor, I'm sorry." And damn it, it actually sounded like he was. "I don't have a choice."_

"I..." Taylor licked her lips, trying to will her voice to steadiness. "Yes, sir. I understand." She did understand. Despite the hypocrisy, she would have done the same thing. She had counseled clients with exactly the same advice: walk away, resign, discretion is the better part of valor, take the deal. She had even offered the same hollow apologies; she could hear each of them as she stared down at the ring on her finger. She had put it on when she was 21, and she never thought that anything would ever make her want to take it off. She tugged at it, wincing slightly as it passed over her knuckle, the pain making hollowness in her chest seem more real. When she finally looked up again, it was everything she could do to meet his eyes. She knew that she would see betrayal there, she had, after all, been lying to him for years, and it was almost too much when there was sympathy instead.

"I'm sorry." She slid the ring onto his desk, hand hovering for a long moment before she brought it back to her lap. "You'll have my letter of resignation first thing in the morning."

She stood, almost amazed that her knees would hold her when it felt like they were made of water. "If that's all?" She came to attention when he dismissed her, not really hearing what he said. She was going to have to call her father, and she knew that any conversation that included the words "resigning" and "gay" wasn't going to go well. She tried to rub the band of her academy ring, and was surprised when it wasn't there, even though she had removed it only minutes earlier. She walked past her office and had to turn around to get back to it, closing the blinds even as she shut the door. It wasn't like her to be so lost and she wondered if she really kept her sense of direction in a piece of jewelry. She wasn't eager to find out.


	4. Pure and Precise

Taylor didn't exactly know what to expect when she reported for duty, but running into the woman whose flat she had snuck out of very early the night before as she came out of the commander's office wasn't it. Taylor took a deep breath and tried to push away the panic that was suddenly flooding her body, praying to God that the woman, the woman who outranked her, hadn't said anything. There was no way she could have said anything. Taylor tried to tell herself that there was no way that she could have, they'd barely exchanged names, neither of them had been in uniform. Taylor took another deep breath as she nodded in acknowledgment and told the commander's petty officer who she was and why she was there.

While the sight was certainly unexpected, Hilda was far from displeased at seeing her companion from the night before. She nodded as well, not stopping to say good morning. They hadn't been formally introduced, after all, and she had some other things to do in preparation for the next day's exercises. But she was outside having a cigarillo when Taylor--Hilda thought that's what her name was at least--came out of the building. "Can I offer you a smoke?" she asked, startling the woman who obviously hadn't seen her there.

Taylor's heart jumped up into her throat when she heard Hilda's voice. "I don't... No, thank you, ma'am." She came to attention, even though she desperately wanted to keep walking. It was too late to pretend that she hadn't heard Hilda. All she could do was keep hoping that Hilda wouldn't mention the night before anywhere that she could be overheard.

"At ease, Lieutenant," Hilda said, holding back a laugh. She'd only just gotten her promotion, but if the roles had been reversed, she couldn't quite say that she would be reacting in exactly the same manner as the American. But there were certainly other issues to consider there. "When do you go off duty."

Taylor relaxed slightly, though her stomach was still churning. "1730, ma'am." She could have been mad that Hilda hadn't said that she was in the Danish Navy, that she had told her that she was a doctor, but then Taylor hadn't been particularly forthcoming either. She couldn't remember if she had even gotten to 'lawyer' before they headed back to Hilda's.

"Mm, excellent." Hilda glanced around them, aware that Taylor was tense. But they were alone, out of earshot from anyone else. "If you'd like to have a drink, you know where to find me."

Taylor weighed the invitation carefully and nodded slowly. "The bar, or your flat, ma'am?"

"The bar," Hilda replied. She snubbed her cigarillo and flicked it away before pushing off of the wall she was leaning against. "Good day, then, Lieutenant," she said not without taking a moment to look Taylor over quickly before they both saluted.

*****

It was a quarter after six when Taylor finally stepped into the bar, keeping an eye out for Hilda and hoping that she was still there. She had hoped to have enough time to change, but as she was already running late, and it wasn't as if she had Hilda's phone number, she didn't want to press her luck. She was relieved when she saw Hilda in a corner, very much not in uniform, and she headed for her table, taking off her cover as she sat. "Sorry I'm late."

"I'm sure you've a good excuse," Hilda said, taking a long sip of her beer as she looked Taylor over more blatantly than she had that morning. She very much enjoyed the sight of the blonde in her uniform, and if that was a result of Taylor running late, Hilda wasn't complaining.

"A good one, but not an interesting one; so, I won't bore you." Taylor smiled and nodded in thanks as a waiter placed a glass of beer in front of her. She picked it up, but she didn't drink it right away. "I don't have to tell you that whatever we're doing needs to be discreet." She didn't know that Danish military's regulations, but she did know the US Navy's and she had no desire to be brought up on charges.

Hilda crossed her legs and ran her fingers through her hair as she cocked her head. "Are you asking for an invite back to my flat?"

"I'm asking for your discretion about the invitation that I already accepted." Hilda's easy manner was putting her even more on edge and she was beginning to think that accepting her invitation was a bad idea.

She tapped her fingers on the table thoughtfully and looked around the bar. There were military personnel there, both in and out of uniform, but that was to be expected when they were beginning an international exercise. Hilda looked back to Taylor and licked her lips lightly. "Why don't we play a game of snooker, hm?"

"You'll have to remind me of the rules." Taylor stood and grabbed her beer, heading toward what had to be snooker tables, rather than the pool tables she had immediately thought they were.

Hilda was glad to, starting the game as she went through the basics with Taylor. It soon became quite clear, however, that regardless of Taylor's grasp of them, Hilda was still going to win, even if Taylor was something of a natural.

Taylor didn't talk much as she played, too nervous about who might overhear and how they might interpret what they heard, but she did manage to relax. She watched Hilda take her final shot, easily sealing her win, and she shook her head. "I think I'm outmatched." She hadn't lost too badly, but she had lost nonetheless.

"Nonsense." Hilda waved her off easily as she began to set up the table again. She leaned on it lightly, cocking her head in thought. "Care to make a wager on the next game?"

"What sort of wager?" Taylor smirked slightly, wondering what Hilda had in mind and carefully keeping the table between them. There was something about the way that Hilda was leaning against the table that made Taylor want to push her down onto it, but she dismissed that fantasy as impossible.

Instead of answering, Hilda merely shifted, training her gaze more intently on the blonde. She hardly wanted her proposal to be overheard, but she thought she was making herself very clear.

Taylor swallowed and nodded, pulling a five euro note from her purse and putting it on the edge of the table in lieu of accepting. She didn't have any idea what she would do with Hilda if she won, but she didn't think that was likely.

"Why don't you go ahead, Lieutenant," she suggested, draping on of her hands on her hip.

"Thank you." Taylor took the first shot and did better than she expected, but her run was cut short when she screwed up the second and had to give the table back to Hilda. "Well, that didn't last long."

"Mm." Hilda smirked as she bent, lining up her second shot. She glanced up to Taylor, wondering if the blonde was going to remain just as tense when she took her home. As she made the shot, still keeping her gaze centered on Taylor, a thin smile spread across Hilda's face.

"Is it really hustling if I knew it was happening when I agreed to the bet?" Taylor smiled sardonically.

"You would accuse me of hustling?" Hilda raised her eyebrows as she made her next serious of shots. Her lips twitched, but that was the only indication that she might be kidding.

"I believe that's what I was doing, yes." Taylor crossed her arms and leaned against the table, fairly sure that she wasn't going to get to touch her cue again.

Hilda shook her head lightly, continuing with another shot, nearly clearing the table before moving significantly. When she stood, she leaned her cue against the table and crossed her arms. "I'm not sure I can stand for that."

Taylor chuckled and shook her head. "What are you going to do about it, Commander?" She picked up her money and held it out to Hilda.

Before she plucked the bill out of Taylor's fingers, Hilda put her cue away. "I'm going to leave," she quipped before walking away without looking back.

Taylor watched her walk out, slowly finishing her beer and closing her tab before she headed out herself. She headed in what she thought was the direction of Hilda's flat, half expecting her to jump out from an alley as she walked.

Instead, Hilda rolled down the window of her car. She wasn't surprised that Taylor hadn't noticed her. Even with her easy smiles, Taylor was still on edge, just where Hilda wanted her. But she didn't want to do anything in public to jeopardize the woman's career. "Get in the car, Lieutenant."

Taylor jumped slightly, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "You like sneaking up on people, don't you?" Taylor slid into the car and put on her seatbelt.

"I'm sure this might be the first time I've 'snuck up' on you," Hilda quipped. "It hardly makes me culpable when we meet by chance."

"Second time." Taylor rubbed her forehead. "You were lurking earlier."

Hilda scoffed as she whipped around a corner, taking a slightly longer way home than was necessary. "I was smoking."

"You were lurking." Taylor reached over and trailed the backs of her nails over Hilda's thigh toward her knee.

Before she shifted, Hilda caught Taylor's hand put it back on her own lap. "Not while I'm driving," she said, looking forward. She wanted to make the blonde wait a little longer, to make her squirm a bit.

Taylor rolled her eyes and watched the road, hoping that they got to Hilda's flat soon. "Then you should stop driving."

Hilda merely chuckled, but before long she was pulling into the spot in front of her flat. When she ushered Taylor inside, she held the door, taking the chance to appreciate Taylor from the back. She shook her head, smiling to herself.

Taylor hung up her hat and unbuttoned her jacket. "This place is nicer than I remember, though I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings last night." It was nice enough that paying for it on an officer's salary seemed unlikely. "Family money?" It was a rude question, but Taylor was nervous and saying whatever came to mind.

"Don't be so typical," Hilda said, putting her hand on Taylor's stopping her from finishing with her jacket. She was beginning to like the half drunk blonde she had met the night before--the one that didn't talk much or ask questions that were so typically...American.

"Sorry, _Commander_" Taylor mumbled, standing awkwardly in Hilda's entryway.

"Mm, I'm certain you are." It looked almost as if Taylor were about to pout, but Hilda dismissed that by leaning forward, placing a light but possessive kiss on her lips. "When do you go on duty in the morning?" she asked as she turned into her living room.

"0900." Taylor tried to lean in for a second kiss, but Hilda had already moved away. "So, you won the bet..."

"Indeed..." Hilda ran her fingers along her mantle. Her flat was clean in the sense that it was devoid of most clutter--knickknacks, other bric-a-brac--save books, and a few antiques that had been her father's decoration choices when the flat had been his. She had never quite settled in, made it hers, but that didn't bother her. Hilda moved to a chessboard, standing over it thoughtfully before she moved a piece in a game that was already in progress. She did not stay to make the next, however, moving listlessly to a bookshelf and running her fingertips across a small ceremonial dagger. It was an unassuming thing--one of her favorite pieces--and she picked it up, weighing it in her hand as she turned back to Taylor, sauntering over to her. "Indeed I did." She ran her fingertips down the breast of the jacket before quickly cutting off one of the buttons Taylor had already unbuttoned.

Taylor sucked in a nervous breath, leaning away from Hilda and her knife. "Was that really necessary?" She was going to have to sew the button back on before she could wear that jacket again. "I'm more than happy to take the jacket off."

"I'm sure you are," she said as she slipped the dagger down to the next button, cutting it off and letting it fall to the floor before doing the same to the next and the one after it until she was finished.

"Is this some sort of punishment for not telling you I was in the Navy?" Taylor was fairly sure that was a two way street, but she shrugged the jacket off anyway, before Hilda could do anymore damage to it.

"Not in the least." Hilda leaned in, kissing her again, this time with more force. She ran the dagger up Taylor's side, catching a few threads along the way.

Taylor leaned into the kiss, stepping closer to Hilda, trying to press against her, but she pulled away abruptly. "Shit." She touched her side, her hand coming away with small streak of blood on it. She wasn't sure how they had gotten to that point, but for some reason, the minor pain was enough to arouse her further. "Hilda, what are you doing?" She almost whined.

Hilda raised the dagger and licked her lips. That was unexpected, but the scratch, as she glanced down to it, was just that, and it had stopped bleeding by the time she touched it. And while she should have stopped just then, Taylor's whine was utterly irresistible. "Undressing you, darling," she said as she began to work the tip of the dagger through the seam at Taylor's sleeve.

"Christ." Taylor shivered and tried to hold still, not wanting Hilda to truly cut her. She put a hand on Hilda's waist and squeezed it, trying to find some sort of center. "And when do I get to undress you?"

When Hilda looked up, it was only for a moment. Her lips twitched, but only her cold eyes smiled. "You don't," she said as she continued, working the sleeve enough to rip it away cleanly.

"That doesn't seem very fair." Taylor leaned in and kissed Hilda's neck, reaching for her shirt and trying to untuck it.

"I don't have to be fair when you lost the bet," Hilda said, stepped back quickly. She licked her lips and balanced the weapon on her palm, silently indicating that she could certainly stop.

"I didn't realize that losing the bet would end with you cutting my uniform off." Taylor stepped closer to Hilda. "I might have reconsidered."

As she considered her next move, Hilda ran the tip of the dagger up Taylor's thigh, dragging it across the fabric of her skirt. "You're free to go, Lieutenant," she said softly, voice thick.

Taylor shivered again. "I don't want to go. But I would like to be able to get back to my quarters without breaking any indecent exposure laws."

Hilda quickly sliced through the seam at one side of the skirt's zipper, steadying Taylor by putting a firm hand on her hip. "I'm going to have to gag you if you continue to be so trite," Hilda said evenly as she pushed the skirt to Taylor's feet.

"Oh," Taylor closed her eyes and licked her lips, suddenly needing the support that Hilda was offering. She stepped out of the skirt and kicked it away, and her voice shook when she finally spoke again. "You can't tie me up. Whatever else we do, you can't tie me up." She bit her lip, feeling vulnerable in the admission.

"Fair enough," Hilda whispered as she kissed down Taylor's jaw and underneath her ear. She was careful not to mark the skin as she drug her teeth lightly over the tender skin. It was a pity, really; Taylor would look absolutely decadent restrained, but Hilda respected people's limits. She began to work the buttons of Taylor's shirt with her fingers, keeping the dagger in her palm.

Taylor curled her fingers into Hilda's shirt, willing herself to stay still, willing herself not to do anything that might make Hilda stop. "What are going to do to me?" Her voice was rough with want.

"I'm not going to tie you up," Hilda whispered. She ran her palms up Taylor's sides and around to her back, dragging the flat of the blade, before unhooking Taylor's bra. Hilda pushed her back, forcing her against the wall and pressing her body into her as she kissed her again.

Taylor opened her mouth to the kiss, feeling as if she might fall if either Hilda or the wall were to disappear. She lifted a leg to hook over Hilda's hip. "That's not what I asked." She wouldn't be able to stop Hilda, no matter what the actual answer was, assuming that she was even going to get one. She didn't think she would.

She pinched one of the blonde's nipples, then the other, taking her time about drawing her fingers from one to the other. "I don't really care what you asked," Hilda replied as she drug the dagger down, pressing the hilt between Taylor's legs.

"Fuck, Hilda..." Taylor's hips twitched forward against the knife, grabbing at Hilda's shoulders. There was no way... Taylor moaned at the thought. "You wouldn't..." Yet, Taylor was almost desperately hoping that she would.

"Wouldn't what?" Hilda whispered as she quickly slipped the weapon under the side of Taylor panties and slit through the fabric, pushing them off fully with her fingertips.

"Please..." Taylor was whining now, pressing against Hilda, trying to pull her closer with her leg and her hands. If Hilda wanted to fuck her with the knife, Taylor would let her. If she wanted to fuck her with something else, Taylor would let her. At that point, she would have let Hilda do anything.

Hilda raked the hilt between Taylor's lips, pulling it back up and pressing it against the blonde's clit as she pressed two fingers into her and began to pump, hard. She nipped at the blonde's ear, whispering, "Better?"

"God, yes," she whimpered, biting her lip and trying to get closer, even as she started to shake. Taylor pressed against the hilt, shamelessly trying to increase the friction where she could come, senseless to any danger. "_Please..._"

"Mm." Hilda kissed her and continued, pressing the hilt hard against Taylor, knowing that would be enough to push her.

Taylor whimpered as her climax finally overtook her. Her leg gave out, but she managed to stop herself before she could fall too far. "God, Hilda. You're..." She shook her head and rested it against Hilda's shoulder, trying to find words, trying to find anything.

"Tired of waiting," Hilda said evenly as she pressed Taylor easily to her knees. Seeing the blonde come undone that way had pushed her to the point where her arousal was almost painful, and she wanted her release.

"Mmm," Taylor didn't waist any time pushing Hilda's skirt up and pulling her panties down. "Of course." She started licking Hilda, pushing her fingers into the other woman.

Hilda moaned and reached out, bracing herself against the wall with the dagger still in her hand. She ran her fingers through Taylor's hair, encouraging her to continue, to push harder. And Taylor did, almost frantically licking Hilda's clit and adding another finger to the one already inside her. She didn't bother to try to talk or protest. She simply did what Hilda wanted.

As she drew in a long breath, Hilda began to come, body shaking as she threw her head back silently. She curled her fingers around the dagger, holding it tightly until she began to still.

Taylor stayed at Hilda's feet, pressing her cheek against Hilda's thigh and hoping that she wasn't going to get a dagger dropped on her head. "Better?" She looked up at Hilda, trailing her fingertips over Hilda's calves.

"Mmhm..." Hilda took a deep breath before straightening herself, still looking down at the blonde. "Now...you can put yourself together, or you can come up to bed. It's up to you." She smirked as she turned and headed up the stairs, expecting that she wouldn't be sleeping alone.


	5. Need

Taylor picked up the courtesy phone in the lobby and watched as the woman working the desk put her call through to Hilda's room. Normally she would have waited another day to see the other woman, but Hilda had been vague about just how long she was going to be in town, just like she hadn't mentioned just what room she was staying in at the Plaza. The night before with Abbie had turned out well enough, but Taylor was looking forward to getting Hilda alone. She listened to the phone ring and hoped that Hilda was in her room.

"Yes," Hilda answered after several rings. She let the towel that had been holding her hair fall, and she wrapped it around her shoulders, as she picked up the phone and walked over to the bed with it.

"So, if a girl wanted to drop by and see you, what door might she want to knock on?" Taylor twisted the telephone cord around her finger as she leaned against the wall. Just hearing Hilda's voice was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

"1912," Hilda replied, smiling to hear Taylor's voice. She now knew she didn't need to bother to get dressed.

"I'll be up in a minute." Taylor smirked as she hung up phone and headed toward the elevator. The ride was quick and not long after she first stepped into the lobby of the hotel, she was knocking on the door to Hilda's room.

When Hilda opened it, she was still wrapped in a towel, though she had discarded the one around her shoulders before quickly twisting her hair up into a bun. "Taylor," she leaned forward and kissed both of the blonde's cheeks before pulling her inside, "so good to see you tonight."

"You too." Taylor took in the towel and wondered how easy Hilda would make it for her to take it off. "I hope I'm not interrupting any plans?" If she was, Hilda would adapt, and she would probably get pulled along for a very frustrating evening.

"Mm, no. I was just going to settle in," she said easily as she sat on one of the sofas.

"Oh, good." Taylor opened up the minibar and tried to decide if she wanted something to drink. "Can I get you anything while I'm over here?"

"Scotch," Hilda replied as she pulled her legs underneath her. She cocked her head as she regarded Taylor from behind. "Did you have an enjoyable morning?" She was certainly that Abbie wasn't going to be slipping out during the night with the way she had almost fallen asleep so quickly.

Taylor poured the drinks and held one out to Hilda and she joined her on the couch. "Enjoyable enough. Abbie had errands, so she couldn't stay long." She reached out for Hilda's free hand. "How was your day?"

"Uninteresting insofar as the details go." Hilda sipped the drink, wondering just what Abbie had had time for before she left. The brunette was certainly an enjoyable one, but Hilda wasn't sure she'd care for anything more long term than a night with her. "I hope you weren't interested in going anywhere tonight...or if you were, I certainly hope it's somewhere interesting..."

"I didn't have any plans, but if you're interested, I'm sure I can find someplace entertaining for us to go." Taylor smirked as she leaned in stole a kiss, cupping Hilda's breasts through the towel. "But you're going to have to get dressed first."

Hilda licked her lips and continued to nurse her drink thoughtfully. It had been quite a while since she'd actually been out in any formal or informal sense. Her work kept her busy, but she saw no reason not to take advantage of Taylor's presence. "Why don't you go and pick something out." There wasn't much to what she had brought, so Hilda wasn't worried about what Taylor might choose.

"Wrinkled suit A or wrinkled suit B?" Taylor chuckled at her own joke and went to open the wardrobe. None of Hilda's suits would dare to be anything but pristine, but she hoped that Hilda had brought something a bit more casual. "I don't suppose I'm going to find a pair of leather pants in here or anything, am I?"

"Have you ever known me to wear leather in any form other than a jacket?" Hilda called, amused. But it did make her wonder a bit about just what Taylor had hiding in her wardrobe.

"Mmm, a girl can dream." Taylor pushed the suits aside and started looking through the dresses, finally finding one that she liked, though she really only had two options to pick between. "This one." It was the less formal of the two, and would go much better with the jeans that Taylor was wearing. "If I'd known we were going somewhere, I would have worn something more appropriate."

"You look thoroughly American," Hilda said as she unwrapped her towel, dropping it in Taylor's hands as she took the dress. She pulled it on easily and reached to the dresser for her watch. "It suits you."

"I should hope so." Taylor folded the towel and put it up, keeping an eye on Hilda as she got dressed. There was no way she was going to miss an opportunity to see Hilda naked.

Before slipping into a pair of pumps, Hilda stepped into the bathroom and dabbed her wrists with perfume. She paused as she looked into the mirror, touching her hair before taking it down completely. Normally, Hilda would have left it up, would have possibly redone the bun. But as she ran her fingers through it, letting it fall, almost messy, around her shoulders, Hilda decided the look would make the dress seem less formal. She finished by merely putting mascara on. "Mm, well, shall we go?" she asked as she stepped back into the room.

"We shall." Taylor opened the hotel room door and held it for Hilda, she only had a vague idea about where they were going, but she would figure it out before they got a cab. "I don't supposed you'd let me take you to a burlesque show in Vegas?" Now that would be a fun night.

"I won't," Hilda replied as she put her hand on Taylor's knee. She chuckled lightly. "You know I like to keep my spectacles...mm, private."

"Of course." Taylor gave the address of a club that she hoped Hilda would like, even if there was a bit of spectacle involved.

Hilda raised her eyebrows as they got out. She put her palm on the small of Taylor's back and led her inside, looking around thoughtfully. The light in the place was low, but the music wasn't too loud to have conversations comfortably. She led Taylor to a semi circular seat that afforded them a view of most of the room. "Interesting choice..."

"Not too loud, not too quiet, and," Taylor smiled as one of the waitresses came over with a pair of small, complimentary drinks, "plenty of interesting things to look at." She tossed the drink back and smiled at the lingering taste of lemon.

In contrast, Hilda sipped hers and settled her hand on Taylor's leg again, this time moving it higher along her thigh. Interesting things to look at and lighting that facilitated other interesting things being done. She noted the look of clientele just as another couple entered and scanned the room for seats. By the way their eyes fell on Taylor and her, Hilda could tell that they might have inadvertently encroached upon someone else's territory. "Do you know them?" she asked, nodding to the pair, noting silently that the brunette was wearing a beautifully knotted scarf around her neck.

"Samantha and Selena—don't laugh at the alliteration." Taylor waved slightly and hoped that they weren't too upset that Hilda had commandeered their normal seats.

The room was well full, but still they weren't used to finding someone in their seats. However, it was hardly a transgression worth getting upset about. That wasn't why they came out that night on a rare evening to themselves. Selena nodded to Taylor, and leaned toward Samantha, relaxing into the feel of the other woman's fingers across her back, "Are we late maybe?" Her voice was quiet, but carried to her companion. She smiled lightly at the blonde, "Are you in the mood for company? Or should we go elsewhere?" Selena didn't really mind, Taylor was a pleasant acquaintance, and the woman with her was intriguing, even from across the room. Still, Sam had a more grueling week than she, and Selena would let her choose.

Samantha studied Taylor for a moment, flexing her fingers against Selena's skin. She made it her business to know people who frequented places like this, to know people who could be of use in business and otherwise, but she rarely let people get to know her completely. There were pieces of herself that were useful for some things. Selena was one of the few people whom she allowed to put all of those pieces together. And Taylor Hamilton was someone who was interesting and pleasant without being someone who would necessarily know that they would be there at exactly that time that night, even if she knew she was in their seats. Still, she smiled, intrigued to meet Taylor's companion. "I think we can speak," she said as she stepped forward, leading Selena forward. "Taylor, allow me to extend my congratulations, late as they are, on your promotion," she greeted.

"Thank you," Taylor nodded. "And allow me to introduce you both to Kommander Hilda Bor, of the Royal Danish Navy." She left off Hilda's other titles, knowing that she wouldn't appreciate it. "Will you join us?"

One corner of Sam's lips quirked up in a half smirk as she ushered Selena into the seat beside Hilda. "We'd like that, thank you." She extended her hand to the Kommander, who met it in a firmness that Sam found quite pleasing. "Samantha Kincaid, and this is my partner, Selena Duran. It's a pleasure." She released Hilda's hand, allowing her to shake Selena's as she sat back. She regarded Hilda and Taylor, noting Hilda's hand on Taylor's leg.

The firmness in Samantha's handshake was equal to the way the woman set her shoulders, and Hilda could respect that. "The pleasure is mine," she replied congenially, noting that a waiter was approaching quickly. "I get the feeling that we took your seats."

"_You_ took their seats. I simply followed along after you," Taylor teased.

Selena gave them a light smile, "It is no great worry. Would you like a drink?" The waiter would already know what she and Samantha would like.

"Bartender's preference...no fruit," Hilda replied, noting a slight shift in Samantha's posture, indicting the woman's interest. It seemed like the sort of place where that choice would leave her rewarded, and the waiter nodded as she indicated that Taylor would have the same. "Thank you for your indulgence, then," she said, turning her attention back to the couple. There was something about them, as if they were speaking to each other without words.

"No need," Selena crossed her legs, knowing without looking that Sam wouldn't be able to help a glance at the movement. "You are not from the city then I assume? How long are you here?"

As predicted, Sam glanced down, smirking openly at the movement. She slid an arm around Selena's shoulders and toyed with the scarf at her neck as Hilda answered. "I flew in from Denmark several days ago, but it isn't my first trip. This is, however, the first time I've had the luck of having Taylor play host." Hilda squeezed the blonde's thigh and smirked. "And it's been quite interesting to meet some of her...friends."

Taylor chuckled, leaving no doubt at the subtext of Hilda's comment. "Well, you never call, you never write... How was I supposed to know you were in the City if you don't tell me?" Taylor leaned back into the cushions and trailed a finger down the center of Hilda's back.

"Mm, I hate to ruin a good surprise." The waiter put their drinks on the table and nodded to the women before hurrying away. Hilda picked her up and sipped it slowly, smiling at the taste.

Samantha watched the exchange with interest; it was clear that whatever was between the woman was casual but longstanding. She shifted closer to Selena, still fingering the scarf as she picked up her drink. "To surprises, then."

Selena raised her glass along with the other women, "Yes, to good ones of course."

"Hear, hear." Taylor clinked her glass against the others, then leaned back again, content and relaxed as she traced patterns on the small of Hilda's back.

"I would wager that you've been in the City quite a bit longer," Hilda said, nodding to Selena, leaving her actual question unspoken. Simply watching the couple, seeing them with each other, the smallest of their movements was arousing, but their intent that night was obviously each other. She knew she would be taking Taylor back to her hotel room soon enough. But she wanted to enjoy drawing the conversation out through the drinks.

"Long enough to make it a home, but not long enough to learn to enjoy the winter." Selena took a sip of her drink and sat back, leaning subtly against Samantha. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the blonde fidgeting with her scarf, and moved a hand to quietly take the other woman's, bringing it to her lap. The brunette knew what her companion was thinking, but there would be plenty of time for that later, and both of them knew it. She wanted to ask after the other woman she had seen Taylor with, but thought better of it, "We were pleased you decided to stay here and take the job Taylor. I assume they are as well." It wasn't as if Taylor was their most powerful acquaintance, but it was good to be on good terms with those you could trust in the city.

"So far, so good." Taylor smiled ruefully. "The stress hasn't killed me yet, and Nora hasn't had reason to fire me." She shrugged, hoping that day never occurred.

Samantha quirked the corner of her lips up and settled in. She was very much hoping that Nora would decide to run for DA when her appointed term was finished, but she kept that to herself. "I'm very glad to see that things are going well for Nora."

Hilda was slowly, subtly working her hand up Taylor's thigh, enjoying the texture of the blonde's jeans against her fingertips. She listening to the conversation with only marginal interest, enjoying watching much more.

"Mmm." Taylor really didn't have much of an opinion of her boss, trying to keep as many of her cases off of Nora's desk as possible. "It seems like it, yeah. Personally, I try to stay out of politics."

"Of course." Selena was taking them in, but most of her attention was still on Sam, and she leaned in and kissed the blonde on the cheek. "Tiresome business, but it cannot be helped, can it?" She could feel Samantha shift under the touch, fingers tightening pleasantly around her waist.

Samantha turned in towards Selena and kissed her cheek softly as she gave her a knowing smile. Hilda almost shivered as she watched. Another time, another place, perhaps, and she might have worked an invitation into the conversation. But she had the feeling that if she wanted something along those lines to happen, she could easily find a way to stay relevant enough to contact Samantha later. "Tiresome is certainly sometimes the word." But something told her that politics was just the sort of thing Samantha found endlessly and quietly fascinating. Still, she knew it was the sort of thing that had ruined Taylor's career. Hilda licked her lips lightly and began to rub slow circles on her leg. "What is it that the two of you do...indulge my curiosity?" she asked Selena, changing the subject to a more polite one.

A layer of tension that she didn't even realize was building immediately dissipated as Hilda changed the subject, and she leaned just a bit closer to the blonde. She was ready to go back to Hilda's hotel, but she wasn't going to do anything that would make Hilda decide they needed to stay later.

Selena chuckled, sipping her drink, "Just a bit of real estate, commercial mostly." She could feel Sam relax, pulling her closer, and she was enjoying the light behind Hilda's eyes, "Though it does leave me at the beck and call of the bank now and then." The brunette smiled at her own joke, giving a glance to Sam that would tell Hilda as much as she needed to know, and then some.

At the slight shifting, Samantha pressed her fingers to Selena's hips, feeling the heat of her skin from her clothes. She smiled softly at the turn of phrase. That Selena was enchanting was easy to see, but Samantha took great pride in the fact that Selena was hers in their own complete way. "And unfortunately, the bank is quite a bit to handle."

"One can imagine," Hilda replied before finishing her drink. She took a pause, looking over the women quite obviously and not minding if they noticed. The sense of collective power was as obvious as it was arousing. "So, I don't think it would be fair of us to take more of the precious time you have together." She smiled her thin, closed lip smile, and Hilda's eyes flashed as she reached into her purse, pulling out one of her cards. Instead of her rank, it held her official title and her place on the board of the company her father helped build. "If you're ever in Denmark, I do hope you'll look me up." She handed the card to Selena, understanding that the woman was something of a go between for matters important to her partner.

"It's no imposition. Glad to have met you." Selena took the card with a smile and slight nod, reaching for one of her own. Samantha wouldn't be doing the same, hers only had the name of the bank. If the blonde wished to speak with someone, she could find them. "Thank you, we do like to have friendly acquaintances to call on when we travel." She nodded at Taylor, "I'm sure we will be seeing you soon. Enjoy your night."

"So am I. Thank you." Taylor nodded as she stood, stepping into the circle of Hilda's arm and letting her guide them out of the club. There was something about Samantha and Selena that always left her unsettled, as if they were constantly dissecting her and talking about it telepathically. It wasn't something that she wanted anything to do with, and Hilda's subtle interest, her ability to so easily blend in with them, gave rise to a jealousy that she didn't know she possessed, at least not when it came to the blonde.

Samantha settled more fully into the seat and ran her fingers over the embossed edges of Hilda's card before letting Selena put it away. It seemed that Hilda was more surprising than she thought, and Taylor too, by virtue of that. She leaned in and kissed Selena lightly, not needing to say anything more.

*****

"You seem unsettled," Hilda said, her voice quiet in the elevator. She had spent the cab ride silent, feeling Taylor's slight tension, even as it started to drain away.

"Sam and Selena make me nervous." Taylor looked down at her hands and tried not to fidget. The elevator seemed to be taking twice as long as the first time she had come up to Hilda's room. She tried to shake it off, but only ended up shuddering.

It wasn't something Hilda thought she was ever likely to hear Taylor say, but it took courage to admit one's fears, no matter how small. And she respected Taylor for small moments like that. "Mm, there's something about them," she murmured as the doors opened and they made their way to her room. Hilda turned and wrapped her arms around Taylor as the door closed behind them. "But there's something about you and your ridiculous blue jeans as well."

"I suppose that means I don't get to take them off yet?" Taylor pressed into Hilda, pushing one of her jean clad thighs between Hilda's legs as she reached for the zipper on Hilda's dress. "Don't think I didn't notice the fact that you never put panties on."

"Didn't I?" Hilda asked as nonchalantly as if Taylor had noted that she noticed how Hilda might have forgotten to turn off the lights before they left. "How negligent."

Taylor rolled her eyes and finished unzipping Hilda's dress, pulling her leg away long enough for it to fall to the floor, and then immediately replacing it, pinning Hilda to the wall. "I've been waiting for this since yesterday. Are you going to make me keep waiting?" She breathed the words against Hilda's neck, then covered it with light, nipping kisses.

"Which part?" Hilda asked as she pressed her palms to the wall and her hips forward against the fabric of Taylor's jeans. She was smirking openly at the sound of Taylor's voice. "Just which part were you waiting for, my dear?"

"You, like this." Her voice was thick as she pushed up against Hilda. She could feel Hilda's wetness soaking into her jeans and she couldn't hold back her shuddering moan. She wanted to make Hilda come, to make her let go. She knew it would happen eventually, but when was really up to Hilda, despite their current positions. "You under my fingers. You shuddering as you come against me." If she was forthright in the elevator, it was because she knew Hilda would make her confess whatever was bothering her, so it was easier to simply do so. If she wasn't quite as truthful in that moment, it was because she wanted Hilda to make her admit to her desires.

"Me?" Hilda pressed harder against the blonde, pushing herself to the point where it hurt blissfully. She tangled her fingers in Taylor's hair at the nape of her neck and didn't bother not to pull. "Are you sure that's what you really want, what you've been waiting for?" she growled.

Taylor winced and nodded against the pain. "It is." She dug her fingernails into Hilda's hips, trying to force her to rock against her thigh. "Of course it is." She was starting to shake with the effort it took to fight Hilda, even when they were working toward the same goal.

"No...I'm not entirely sure..." Hilda's vision was bright and her mind beginning to get foggy. She very well knew what Taylor wanted, and she also knew that she would be coming in minutes regardless of that.

"Please," Taylor was gritting her teeth, pressing as tightly against Hilda as she could. "I need to see you come. Please..." Her own clit was throbbing and even through her jeans, it would only take the slightest of touches to send her over with Hilda, but she carefully held herself back. In this moment, she was fighting against Hilda, fighting against admitting to what she wanted, but it was a fight she was ultimately going to lose, because she had lost it back in Denmark, years earlier. It had happened bit by bit, each night that she had snuck to Hilda's flat, so that by the time she had gotten her orders to return home, she was eating out of Hilda's palm. She had thought that coming home had saved her from herself, from her own worst instincts, but really, it had merely prolonged the inevitable.

Hilda pressed her back to the wall, turning her head, mouth half open as she shook with her orgasm. All it took was the sound of Taylor's voice to push her, that need, that slight whine. She let herself go silently but not completely, keeping her moans held tightly in, her breath held until she finished and closed her eyes.

Taylor kept pushing against Hilda, refusing to let her go or to back away. "Hilda..." The whine was still there, the _need_ was still there. Hilda had come, but she hadn't really let go, and that was what Taylor so desperately wanted to see. She pressed her face into the side of Hilda's neck and clung to her, contained desire making her limbs shake even more.

"Get...on your knees, Taylor," Hilda said slowly, voice firm once she found it entirely. Her legs were shaking, threatening not to hold her weight, but she knew how to push past that. "Take those ridiculous jeans off, and get on your hands and knees."

Taylor whimpered and it took her three tries to get her jeans unbuttoned because her hands were shaking so badly. Once they off, she tossed them onto the nearest chair, too frantic to stop and fold them before she hit her knees. Her shirt was long enough to brush against the tops of her thighs, but Hilda hadn't told her to take it off, so she just leaned forward onto her hands and stared at the floor. She couldn't say no to that voice. It was impossible.

Hilda closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself, forcing reason to take over. She walked around Taylor, naked but still wearing her pumps. She went and poured herself a drink, not wanting it, not needing it, but taking long, slow sips anyway as she simply watched Taylor there. "Get on the bed."

Taylor didn't need to be told to crawl there. She did it automatically and carefully maintained the posture as best she could while getting up. Her thighs were wet despite the panties she was wearing and knew that Hilda had a perfect view she stayed on her hands and kneed in the center of the bed. She blushed bright red, feeling completely ashamed of herself and her lack of control. She wanted to hide, to bury her face in the pillows, but she didn't.

Finally, Hilda drained the last of her glass and sauntered towards the bed, taking a soft, steadying breath as she put her hands on her hips. "Back on the floor," she commanded with practiced ease. She knew Taylor would do it and keep doing it until she had her do something else. And the woman's blush would only grow brighter; she might shed tears, she might shake from anger. But she would do it. And as Taylor got to the floor, Hilda put her foot in the center of the blonde's back and pushed her flat to the floor. Then, she pressed the sharp toe of her pump between Taylor's legs, pressing it into her clit. "This is what you want, isn't it? All of this...any of this."

Taylor's cry was somewhere between anguish and satisfaction and her hips flexed down against the toe of Hilda's shoe. It didn't matter how much she embarrassed herself, she couldn't stop. The shame only made her wetter. "Y-yes." Her voice cracked and she tried to grip the short carpet, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Please, Hilda... P-please." She kept pushing against Hilda's shoe as she started crying in earnest.

"Go on then." Hilda put her hands on her hips and only increased the pressure. There was so little she needed to do in this situation--only to be a voice, to watch. She knew Taylor could feel her gaze. "You know what to do, Taylor. Go on."

"God... Hilda..." Taylor kept pushing against Hilda's shoe, utterly humiliated and completely unable to stop. The carpet under her face was soaked with tears, and the carpet under her thighs was quickly becoming soaked as well. Her panties were utterly useless. Her orgasm was a welcome relief as she arched into the floor, her world temporarily going black and her breath catching in her lungs, then rushing out. It took her a long moment to come back to herself, and when she did, her hips were still twitching randomly, and there were still tears falling from her eyes. She tried to blink them away, sniffling, but they only slowed, not stopping completely. "Thank you." Taylor's voice was hoarse, and it was only then that she realized that she must have screamed as she came. It was one more embarrassment on top of all of the others, and there was nothing that she could do about any of them. She choked out another, "thank you," before she shifted slightly to the side.

"On the bed," Hilda said quietly as she stroked Taylor's side with her ruined shoe. "On the bed, Taylor."

Taylor whimpered and climbed back onto the bed, utterly exhausted, but refusing to stop, refusing to give up. She lay on her side, looking up at Hilda, silently begging her for something she couldn't articulate anymore.

The display, the utter need in the sounds Taylor made, in her dark eyes, made Hilda hurt with fresh desire. She stepped out of her shoes and climbed onto the bed, grabbing Taylor's hair, the back of her neck and pulling her into a wet, hard kiss, biting her lip as she pulled away to draw in a breath before kissing her again. "Make me come," she demanded.

Taylor whimpered, completely at Hilda's mercy, barely able to keep up with her kisses and trying to catch hold of her any way she could. She wrapped her arms around Hilda, and slowly climbed on top of her, pressing her face between Hilda legs, starting to lick her meekly. Each lap of her tongue got stronger though, as did her grip on Hilda's legs.

It didn't take much. Hilda gripped Taylor's hair, gritting her teeth together so as not to make any noise. She curled her toes into the bed, and she started to shake, her orgasm coming quickly. And finally, Hilda sighed as she quieted. She pulled Taylor up even though her arms were tired, her body tired. "Mm," she murmured, kissing Taylor softly. She held her tightly, knowing Taylor would need it and only half knowing if the blonde would be there in the morning.


	6. Seeking Respite

Taylor grabbed her bag from the carousel, still silently cursing the international flight safety regulations that had forced her to check the bag in the first place. There were too many people in the airport and even though her cell phone was supposed to get service, it was having a damned hard time finding the network. It wouldn't have been such a problem if Taylor could just have remembered Hilda's address, but she didn't. She turned the phone off and then on again, sighing in relief as her service bars lit up. She dialed the number to Hilda's flat and hoped that she wasn't scheduled to be on duty that month. After five minutes of listening to the phone ring, Taylor hung up and tried Hilda's cell.

"Bor," Hilda answered, not bothering to look at the caller id. She had just been about to walk out to the stables for a ride, but her self discipline didn't afford her the luxury of ignoring the phone as it buzzed on the kitchen table.

"Hilda, it's Taylor." For the first time it occurred to Taylor that flying halfway around the world without any notice might not have been the best idea.

"Taylor..." Hilda furrowed her brow and sank down into a chair. The two of them weren't in the habit of keeping regular contact, but there was something almost urgent in Taylor's voice. "It's good to hear from you..."

"Oh, good." Taylor bit her lip and tried not to be nervous. "How would you feel about seeing me?" If Hilda didn't, well, she would have come a long way to spend a night in a hotel room.

"You know I always enjoy seeing you, my dear," Hilda replied as she fingered the end of her braid. "Why on earth are you being so obtuse; what's going on?"

Taylor took a deep breath. "I'm standing in the middle of the airport in Copenhagen. I just... I needed to get away from New York, so I got on a plane and here I am, except I can't seem to remember your address to give a cab driver, and as you didn't pick up the phone in your flat, I'm assuming that you're not even there, so... Yeah." Taylor sighed as she got to the end of her little speech.

A slight chuckle escaped Hilda's lips, and she leaned back in her chair. "No, I'm out at my estate, actually. Why don't I call someone to come and pick you up?"

"Thank you. That sounds good." Taylor tried to run a hand through her hair, only to get a nail caught in a pin. She swore silently.

Hilda hung up and quickly dialed another number, arranging for Taylor to be picked up and brought out to the estate. It hardly seemed like the blonde to simply pick up and leave the city without making arrangements, so Hilda was anticipating something--though she wasn't sure what. Until then, she stood and went out to pull on her boots. Taylor wouldn't be there immediately, and she saw no need in missing her ride.

*****

The drive out to the estate wasn't eventful and Taylor was silent for most of it. As they pulled through the gate, Taylor looked up at the house, trying to take it in. She hadn't been out there before and seeing it for the first time made it even more clear just who Hilda was when she wasn't lurking around the docks. Taylor put that from her mind as she got out of the car and rang the bell.

"Come in, come in," Grette said as she opened the door. "Hilda mentioned we'd be having a guest. But I'm sure you're hungry...come, let me take those things." The housekeeper ushered Taylor into the kitchen while taking her bag and putting it at the bottom of the stairs for Gustav to take up. "Hilda's just out in the stables... Can I get you something to drink?"

"Um..." Taylor didn't quite know what to make of the woman and it rendered her temporarily speechless as Grette pushed her into a chair. "Just some water?" She hoped that was an acceptable answer.

"Of course, dear..." Grette poured a glass of water and took a halved lemon out of the fridge, cutting off a slice of it and putting it on the rim of the glass before handing it to Taylor. "Why don't you go out and tell Hilda that it's almost time for supper, hmm? The stables are just out back."

Hilda laughed lightly as she hung the lead she was carrying up and turned to Taylor. She kissed both of the blonde's cheeks softly and put her hands on her hips. "I'm afraid I should have warned you about Grette."

"Is that her name? She didn't stop long enough for introductions." Taylor reached out to pet the nose of one of the horses.

"No doubt. And if it weren't so close to suppertime, I'm sure she would have been feeding you too." Hilda looped her arm through Taylor's and started to lead her back to the house. "Well, welcome to my estate...and back to Denmark."

"Thanks. Your estate certainly looks impressive from what I've seen of it." Which was really just a few hallways, the kitchen and the back lawn. Taylor leaned into Hilda as they walked back up to the house, trying to let all of her tension and stress fade away, though the effort wasn't entirely successful. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your plans."

"Nonsense, I'm glad you're here." When they got to the back door, Hilda sat to deal with her boots. "I'm just wondering how long it's going to take you to tell me why you're really here and what I'm going to have to do to get it out of you."

Taylor looked out at the horizon rather than at Hilda. "Abbie and I got into a fight, and now we aren't really speaking. Not that we were in a relationship in the first place." It was always easier to just say it with Hilda, and really the outline wasn't unfamiliar. It was the details that were causing all of the problems.

"I see." She looked up at Taylor, studying her for a moment before standing again. "Well...to supper, then." There was more to it than that, she could tell, but there would be time to find out about the rest.

"Right." Taylor followed Hilda back into the kitchen, not even trying figure out what Grette and Hilda seemed to be debating in Danish, but she guessed that Hilda had won by the tin smile on her lips as she sat at the kitchen table. Taylor took the seat opposite and just kept trying to relax.

When they were finished, Hilda tossed her napkin onto the table, letting it rest for half a moment before she began folding it, unfolding it, and then before she could fold it again Grette plucked it out of her hands. "I don't suppose I could interest you in a game of snooker, as we're about to be ousted from the kitchen..."

"You're going to have to remind me of the rules again." A full stomach had done a lot to settle Taylor's nerves and her smile was much more genuine when she finally stood to join Hilda. It had been a long time since she had had a home cooked meal that didn't involve pasta or a microwave or both and she had complimented Grette accordingly, but she had to admit that the older woman was starting to look intimidating as she waited for them to leave.

Hilda led Taylor up to the billiards room and passed her a cue from the rack. She smiled to herself as she set up the table, remembering the first time they had played. This time, however, she wasn't sure she would need her dagger afterwards.

Taylor didn't let Hilda get very far with setting up the table before she pressed into Hilda's back and wrapped her arms around her. She pressed her lips to the curve of Hilda's neck, but she didn't kiss it. "How is it that you always feel so good." She closed her eyes for a long minute, waiting for Hilda to push her away.

"Mm, because you're imagining what you want to feel," she murmured. She turned in Taylor's arms and kissed her lightly before pulling away. "Now set up your shot."

"You couldn't just let me keep my illusions, could you?" Taylor brought her cue down and took her shot, wondering just how long it was going to take Hilda to beat her.

"That would hardly be healthy of me." And such illusions would lead to attachments. Hilda's true attachments were few, and she didn't want any others to add to it. "What shall we play for?"

"What do we always play for?" They had never come up with formal terms for their wager, though the five euro note had become something of a tradition. Taylor dug one out of her pocket and put it on the table. Truthfully, she had no idea what _she_ was playing for, what Hilda might forfeit if she ever lost, but knowing her, it probably wouldn't be more than those five euro.

"Why don't you just get undressed now, Taylor? You're not going to win," Hilda said as she made her shot. And Taylor didn't want to win--that much Hilda knew.

"Because if you simply wanted me naked, you wouldn't have bothered with the game. We'd have just gone straight to a bedroom." Taylor did, however, pull down her hair and step out of her shoes, before making a shot that was so astoundingly bad even she was surprised.

Hilda leaned lightly against the cue as she surveyed the table, surveying Taylor with it. "I should punish you for not trying," she quipped.

"Because showing up unannounced isn't enough of something to punish me for?" Taylor didn't even try to defend the shot. She wouldn't have tried to do it on purpose, but clearly her mind wasn't really on the game. Taylor leaned against the wall and watched Hilda line up her shot, blatantly staring at her ass.

"Stop staring at my ass," Hilda snapped without turning around.

"Take it as a compliment. You have a very nice ass." Taylor reached out with her cue and pushed it against Hilda's ass as she took her shot.

The shot completely missed its mark and Hilda straightened only to calmly take Taylor's cue and return it to the rack, along with her own. She stepped in front of the blonde and crossed her arms. "It's time for you to apologize," she said, voice low.

Taylor's breath caught and her stomach clenched at the tone of Hilda's voice. "I'm incredibly sorry that I screwed up your shot, in a game that you're going to win anyway." She was going for sarcasm, but her voice was just a bit too breathy to pull it off.

"Mm. I don't think you are...in the least," Hilda replied, evenly, holding a smirk at just how predictable Taylor's response was. "Come here..." She put a hand on her hip and crooked her finger.

Taylor slowly closed the distance, sliding into Hilda's personal space and running her hand up the blonde's shoulders to her neck and then into her hair. She leaned in for kiss, not waiting for permission, simply taking what she wanted as she molded her body to Hilda's.

Hilda let her have a moment--but a mere moment, and that was all before she stepped back abruptly only to move to Taylor's side, grabbing her by the back of the neck. "Over the table," she said, forcing Taylor down.

Taylor almost purred at the force behind Hilda's arm, trying to grab onto one of the table's edges. One of the balls was caught under her stomach, pressing uncomfortably against the bottom of her ribs, but she didn't dare move enough to dislodge it. "God, Hilda." Her palms were sweaty and if Hilda pulled her pants off it would be easy to see how wet she was. The slightest blush covered her cheeks in anticipation of whatever humiliation Hilda might have in store for her.

It was admirable how readily, how willingly Taylor allowed herself to submit, but Hilda always enjoyed just how much the blonde wanted it. She pressed herself against Taylor, reaching around to unzip her pants, letting them fall. As she pulled Taylor's panties off as well, Hilda could feel the heat from between the blonde's legs. She stepped back to admire, putting her hands on her hips. "Stay there," she quipped as she began to saunter out of the room.

Taylor whimpered, turning her head where she could see the door, but she didn't try to get up. The brush of fabric against her ankles reminded her of just how exposed she was and she desperately hoped that Grette wouldn't feel the need to come dust the room. It was unlikely, as she knew that they had come upstairs to play snooker, but Taylor's thoughts weren't entirely rational. Taylor tried to calm down, taking deep breaths and resting her forehead against the felt, but closing her eyes only made every other sensation more acute and she quickly opened them again, hoping that Hilda would come back soon.

After taking the time to make herself a cup of tea and to enjoy it as she went through the paper that had gone neglected since Taylor had arrived, Hilda went back upstairs, smirking when she saw the blonde still holding her position. "Are you truly sorry now?"

"I..." Taylor bit her lips before she could finish her automatic answer. She didn't feel sorry, exactly, but didn't want Hilda to go away again either. Her legs were getting stiff, as was her back, and she wasn't going to think about the fleeting moment of panic she had had when she thought that Hilda might not come back at all, but leave her there for the night. "Yes." She turned her face into her shoulder, trying to hide as she finally realized just how much she hadn't liked having to stand there alone, the cumulative effect being much worse than any one moment and much more apparent now that Hilda was back.

Hilda stepped close and ran her fingers through Taylor's hair gently. The blonde was ready now to let Hilda completely take control of the night, and Hilda knew that that was what Taylor had really come there for. She could let herself go, clear her mind long enough to give her rest, to let her figure out the things she needed to figure out. She ran the flat of her palms down Taylor's back, over her buttocks before pressing her palm between the blonde's legs, feeling how wet she was. "Tell me what you want."

There was something about the gentleness in Hilda's touch that completely broke Taylor in a way that pain and humiliation alone wouldn't, and tears of relief sprang into her eyes. She could feel all of her barriers coming down as if they were physical things, and it left her feeling lighter than she had since she had first stumbled into Abbie's apartment, blind with need and hungry for whatever she could take. She tried to hide the tears, tried to subtly wipe them away with her shoulder, hoped that they would dry before they could fall. "Whatever you want to give me." Taylor's voice shook and cracked and she had to swallow repeatedly before she could add a whispered, "Please."

"Good girl," Hilda whispered, curling her fingers into Taylor, pressing two inside of her with a quiet firmness. She bent, kissing the blonde's shoulder, feeling the heat of her skin through her shirt. Whatever pain Taylor had brought with her, Hilda was happy to do what she could to take it away. But she wondered how long, how many times Taylor could keep running to her.

Taylor whimpered at the touch and pushed back against Hilda's fingers, shifting her legs further apart. "Thank you." She felt full and hot, her skin flushed as sweat slowly beaded on her back. The effort to placidly stay on the table was making her limbs shake, and she tilted her hips forward seeking out any sort of contact against her clit.

Hilda gave Taylor the contact she wanted, wrapping her other hand around the blonde's waist to firmly touch her clit. there would be time for other things, time for Taylor to tell her why it was that a fight with Abbie--this time--would leave her so disheveled, so in need of something firm, something concrete. "Go on," she said softly. "Go on, Taylor."

She nodded and pressed against Hilda's hand. Her nipples were hard against the table and the billiards ball was shifting upwards as she moved, but she didn't care. The only thing she cared about was the way that Hilda's fingers were making her feel, the way they were making her come undone. It took only a moment longer for Taylor to climax and as her knees buckled, it was only her grip on the table that kept her from sinking to the floor. Hilda hadn't told her that she could get up yet, so she stiffened her knees and stood back up, chest heaving.

"Good girl," Hilda murmured as she stroked Taylor's back, letting her stay there a moment longer before gently straightening her and pulling her into her arms. "Now, you're going to get in a shower, and we're going to talk about it." It wasn't typically how Hilda would handle such a situation, but she knew a week of this would exhaust even her.

Taylor tried not to gape as she leaned into Hilda, resting a head on her shoulder. "But..." Taylor nuzzled into Hilda's neck, not wanting to let go of the other woman long enough to take a breath, let alone take a shower. She pressed her lips to Hilda's neck, kissing up to her ear and biting on her earlobe, hoping that it might distract her.

"Taylor," Hilda said in a warning tone. She was not immune to her own desires or to Taylor's charms, but she knew she could wait a little while longer.

"Come with me." Taylor worked her fingers over Hilda's sides, trying to get them under her shirt. She tried to be alluring, rather than whiney, but she wasn't sure how convincing she was being.

"No," Hilda replied as she placed a quick kiss on Taylor's forehead. "Go. I'll be in the study." She pulled away, her own desire a dull, rising ache that was pleasant for the moment.

Taylor sighed and didn't try again. "Where's the bathroom?" She didn't think that Hilda wanted her to go searching through the house and she hadn't exactly been offered a tour.

"Second door to the left," Hilda called as she walked out. She went downstairs to the study, going back to the chess game she had been having with herself.

She wanted to rush through the shower, but once she was in it, the warm water was too soothing and she ended up washing her hair twice just to linger. It took her a bit to find Hilda's study and she opened the door slowly, standing there in one of Hilda's robes with her hair in a still wet ponytail.

"Mm, good," Hilda said without looking up, her fingers poised over a piece. "Feeling better?"

"A bit, yeah." Taylor walked in and sat in the in chair opposite Hilda's, curled her legs underneath herself.

Hilda made the move before she looked up, taking Taylor in. The blonde looked tired even as she looked refreshed. Hilda sat back and laced her fingers together. "So?" She raised one of her eyebrows.

Taylor sighed and looked down at the chessboard. "I'm not going to get out of this, am I?" She moved one of the pieces and hoped that Hilda wouldn't mind the intrusion.

"It seems that your time here might be more enjoyable if you simply get it over with." Hilda quickly made her next move, looking long past it. She settled into her chair and gazed at the blonde thoughtfully. "I'm hardly promising any good advice, Taylor, but it certainly seems like you might be better for simply talking about it."

Taylor hesitated over her move using it to stall. "I... I don't know. It was just a fight. We have fights all of the time." Of course there was more than that but Taylor didn't really know how to start.

"And yet I don't see you in Denmark so frequently," Hilda replied easily. It wasn't that she was upset by Taylor being there, but she wasn't willing to put up with her for a week or longer if there was some other reason than lust that led her there.

Taylor finally made her move. "She found some marks on my back from a whipping." She kept staring at the game, not able to look up at Hilda, scared that she would see the same anger there.

"She found some marks on your back from a whipping..." Hilda repeated, indicating that the words alone meant absolutely nothing to her. It hardly surprised her that Taylor had sought out a whipping.

"She didn't... She's never seen me like that. I doubt she even knows that it's something I would want." And she didn't know about it because Taylor had never told her, had never let her see even a hint of it.

"So you fought." Hilda made her next move and pursed her lips. "Check," she said, shifting as she continued, "it's been my understanding that you and Abbie were never anything more than...casual. If this incident is bothering you so much, Taylor, perhaps you should consider what it is your really want from her."

Taylor moved her king out of check and tried to formulate a new strategy. "I don't think it really matters what I want from her anymore." There wasn't going to be any stepping back from what they had said, at least not anytime soon.

"Do you even know what you want...what you might have wanted?" Hilda said, pausing before she made her next move, relentless in her pursuit of Taylor's king. "If it was simply sex, Taylor, then this shouldn't be that much of a bother. Abbie's a lovely woman, but if you need something more from her, you might consider whether you can always continue to pretend to be strong each and every moment."

Taylor sighed as she had to sacrifice her queen to stop Hilda's pursuit. "I don't know how to stop." She pulled a knee up and wrapped her arms around it.

At that, Hilda looked up and raised her eyebrows. "You certainly have no qualms when you're on your knees for me."

Taylor finally looked up, meeting Hilda's eyes. "Check. And you've never really given me much choice." She looked down again. "And you're safe."

Hilda's fingers twitched over her piece before she moved it out of check. "What I am is inconsequential to what you and Abbie are. Figure out what you want," she murmured before looking up into Taylor's eyes, "or let it go." Hilda straightened and regarded the blonde for a moment before crooking her finger. She had waited long enough.

Taylor made one last move, lightly tipping over Hilda's king. "Checkmate." She couldn't keep the slight smirk off of her lips as she slipped to her knees. It wasn't often that Hilda lost at anything, and Taylor was always pleased when she could prove that Hilda wasn't invulnerable. She rested her hands on Hilda's knees and waited for instruction.

"Mm." Hilda looked at the board before she slowly stood. "You can join me upstairs now. Don't bother getting up."


End file.
